Who We Are
Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world.  Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded and contemporary homelands of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.  

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services.  Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities.

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Farm Catering Coordinator

Year Round
|
Full Time
|
$47,000-55,000

Position Title: Farm Catering Coordinator      

Supervisor: Farm Food & Beverage Manager

Employee Status:  Year-Round, Full-Time

Location: In-person, Shelburne, VT

Start Date: Early March 2025

Pay range:  $47,000-55,000 

Work Schedule: Typically working 5 days a week, however may work more days depending on events. Weekend, evening and holiday work required.

Application Deadline: February 5, 2025

 

Who We’re Looking for

The Farm Catering Coordinator directly supports our mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. You will coordinate the planning, preparation, and delivery of farm-fresh meals that support our educational initiatives and sustainability goals. You will collaborate with an integrated team of program and event organizers, educators, farm staff, and hospitality team members to create meaningful and locally sourced food and beverage experiences across the farm campus. You are excited to embrace, demonstrate, and share the importance of locally grown and sourced ingredients and farm-fresh produce with our program participants.

 

What You’ll Do

  • Partner with the Executive Vice President, Director of Community Programs and Events, and Program Registrar on coordinating planning and scheduling farm functions and events.
  • Collaborate with the Event & Farm Functions Coordinator and Farm Food & Beverage Manager to develop service plans for staffing and execution of farm events with food and beverage. 
  • Collaborate with the Farm Functions Chef, program staff and farm partners to develop menus to prepare and provide seasonal farm food for guests across the farm campus, including group functions, education programs, picnics, and prepared foods. 
  • Manage administrative aspects of food and beverage such as creating menus, labels and Banquet Event Orders (BEOs), and processing billing.
  • Oversee and contribute to the execution of food service for catered events and be the point person on the day-of events. 
  • Work with the accounting team on billing and cost accounting systems.
  • Collaborate with the reservations team on accommodations for residential programs and group bookings.
  • Facilitate training for event staff on appropriate food and guest services.
  • Support, supervise and schedule seasonal event staff.
  • Assist in preparing, servicing and closing down catering service and related equipment.
  • Communicate feedback from event participants to the production team and Executive Vice President.
  • Maintain proper food cost, reducing waste and sustainable sourcing. 
  • Attend weekly production team meetings
  • Seasonal support of farm teams as needed.

 

Core Qualifications 

 

  • Understanding of local and regional food systems and the farm-to-table experience and a desire to advance the practice with on farm events
  • Being detail oriented, organized, and having time management skills will support you with farm functions such as printing and organizing menus and signage for each event, updating relevant information into the farm-wide calendar, creating/maintaining training manuals and checklists. 
  • Knowledge of food allergies and special dietary requirements 
  • Comfortable  in an ever changing environment is crucial to support necessary and important last minute adaptations for each function.
  • Open and facilitative communication skills with various methods (phone, in-person and email) will support you with functions such as creating the Banquet Event Orders (BEO), functions checklists, menu templates, etc, to clients and internal groups. 
  • Broad-level experience working with various tech systems will help you immediately, however we will train you on our specific tools. 
  •  Able to work independently while also able to lead a small production team.

 

Additional Valued Qualifications 

  • Catering or restaurant experience is helpful but not required.
  • Experience using systems and tools such as Google Workspace (all Google Suite tools), event planning, point of sale, dining and room reservations.

 

Work Environment & Physical Demands

  • Carrying and moving items up/down stairs and over uneven terrain, weighing up to 30 lbs.
  • Indoor and outdoor work environment in varied temperatures.
  • Move over uneven terrain.
  • Seasonally demanding work schedule.
  • Working across multiple locations.
  • Being active for extended periods of time, including supporting event set-up and break-down activities.
  • Commitment to contribute to and maintain a tidy shared workspace.

 

Benefits 

 

To Apply

If our vision and mission excite you, we hope you will share with us your experience and skill set that you feel would qualify you to make a contribution to the Farm.

 

You are invited to submit an application online, in person, or by mail to: 

  • jobs@shelburnefarms.org with “Farm Catering Coordinator” in the subject line, or
  • Shelburne Farms attn: Human Resources, 1611 Harbor Road, Shelburne, VT 05482
  • Need additional support? Call our Human Resource Director at 802-985-0370.

 

All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential.

 

In your application, please include responses to the following questions. These are not meant to be a writing exercise but to introduce yourself in a meaningful way.

  • Tell us about your unique characteristics and life experience that will help you thrive in this role.
  • What stands out to you about the Farm’s commitment to Equity & Inclusion, and how do you see your role contributing to this ongoing work?

 

At Shelburne Farms, we value equitable access to employment opportunities and career growth as central to our organization’s commitments and our collective future. We are committed to offering employment to individuals who face barriers to employment including but not limited to those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Women and non- binary individuals, domestic violence survivors, individuals with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and those with non- traditional educational backgrounds. We utilize inclusive hiring practices and are committed to shifting our resources towards amplifying and uplifting historically marginalized communities to provide a fair and just opportunity for employment. 

 

Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and we strongly stand against discrimination and harassment of any kind. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are strongly encouraged to apply.

Date Posted: January 3